stanton



Feb. 7, 1956 E. w. STANTON 3 METHOD OF MAKING A POWER TABLE TOP FQR A SEWING MACHINE Filed April 26 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet I Wilma Feb. 7, 1956 E. w. STANTON 2,733,744

METHOD OF MAKING A POWER TABLE TOP FOR A SEWING MACHINE Filed April 26, 1950 3 Sheets5heet 2 34 a 2 77. jwve'n/l'af,

clward WSLamon WA/wow 33 W (imam United States Patent METHOD OF MAKING A POWER TABLE TOP FOR A SEWING MACHINE Edward W. Stanton, Roselle Park, N. J., assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. .L, a a corporation of New Jersey Application April 26, 1950, Serial No. 158,241 2 Claims. (Cl. 144309) The present invention relates to sewing machine power tables andhas for its object to provide an improved power table and a novel method of producing such a power table.

-Most commercial establishments which use a great number of sewing machines have at all times a certain number of their machines idle, as the requirements of the work being processed at a particular time governs the type of sewing machine that is necessary for manufacturing purposes. It is customary in these establishments to place the idle machines, as well as accompanying power tables, in storage so that this equipment will not occupy the valuable floor space normally allocated for production.

Whenever such an establishment turns its production facilities from onetype of production to another it becomes necessary for them to rearrange. their sewing equipment. With the type of power table heretofore generally used, this requirement of equipment rearrangement presents a difiicult problem as each sewing machine had to' be used with its ownspecial power table, thus requiring the moving and storing of the bulkytable as well as the individual sewing machine. Y

In this respect it is to be understood that it has been standard practice to provide. each sewing machine with its own special power table and theelectric transmitter for driving the machine. The power table is usually provided with a cutout or opening in the table portion thereof for the purpose of receiving the sewing machine which is mounted within the opening in proper operative relation with the transmitter which is carried beneath the table. Thus, each power table is adapted to receive sewing machines of a single type only, the other types having different dimensions and different belt-pulley dispositions. Therefore, it has been necessary for such sewing machine owners to have a great deal of idle but expensive equipment on hand at all times.

The recently issued U. S. patent of Webb,No. 2,477,433, July 26, '1949, discloses a power table which eliminates much of the above noted diflicultiesfor it is constructed with a central opening which is adapted to receive anyone of a plurality of interchangeable inserts, each having an appropriate machine-receiving cutout to fit a respective one of the various machine classes. Thus the Webb invention contemplates that a single power :table may be used in conjunction with a plurality of various types of sewing machines.

. However, the Webb power table is so designed that the material removed in the process of forming its insertreceiving opening is completely wasted. Thus, it is one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a power table which is so designed that the material removed from its insert receiving opening may be employed as a machine-supporting insert to the end that substantial savings in the economy in power table mariu- Fatented Feb. 7, 1956 With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a top plan view of a sewing machine and power table combination embodying. the present invention.

Fig. 2 represents a bottom view of the power table with the sewing machine removed from the replaceable table insert. v

Fig. 3 represents a vertical sectional view of the sewing machine and power table combination taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 represents an enlarged detailed view of the lockingvmeans used for securing the table insert within the power table opening.

Fig. 5 represents, on an enlarged scale, a sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 represents, on an enlarged scale, a sectional view of the insert hingingmeans, which view is taken substantially along the line 66 of Fig. 1.

I Fig. 7 represents on an enlarged scale, a vertical section through one of the supporting arms of the oil reservoir and taken substantially along the line 77 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 8 to 13, inclusive, represent, in a somewhat diagrammatic manner, three of the steps employed in the construction of one form of the present invention.

Figs. 14 to 19, inclusive, represent in a somewhat diagrammatic manner, three steps employed in the con-,

struction of a second form of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, this invention is' illustrated as embodied in a sewing machine power table comprising four legs 20 having two cross braces 21 welded to the upper portions of the legs. These cross braces 21 sup port a table portion 22 which is secured thereto by ;any suitable means such as bolts 23 and nuts 24. The legs and cross braces preferably are made of sheet metal and the table portion 22 preferably of wood; the power table being constructed and assembled substantially as disclosed in U. S. patent of Eames, No. 1,695,419, December 18, 1928.

Secured to the under side of the table 22 by means of bolts 25 and nuts 26 is a bracket 27 to which is pivotally secured in a conventional manner a power transmitter 28 having a driving pulley 29 which receives a belt 30. 'For a more complete description and disclosure of the present electric transmitter reference may be had to the U. S. patent of Peets, No. 2,095,203, October 5, 1937.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 3, the table 22 is provided with an opening 31 which is substantially rectangular in shape. Formed in each wall of a pair of oppo sitely disposed walls defining such opening is a longitudinal groove 32 within which is secured, by means of glue, a shelf strip element 33 a portion of which projects into the opening. 31. These oppositely disposed shelf strips 33-33are adapted for supporting a substantially rectangular wooden table insert generally designated by the numeral 34. The upper peripheral portion of the insert wall is provided with an outwardly projecting rabbet ledge 35 which is adapted to fit into the power tableopening 31 and mate with the oppositely disposed shelf strips 33 so as to be supported thereby. A pair of camming type latches 36 are rotatably secured by means 'of screws 37 to the bottom portion of the insert 34 for locking the same to the table- Wear plates 38 secured to thebottom of the table 22 by means of screws 39cooperate with the reservoir 46.

latches 36 in .the locking of the insert 34 tov the table.

The table insert 34 is provided with a cutout 40 which is adapted to meet the requirements of the particular sewing machine to be used therewith. As is best illustrated, Figs. 1 and 2, the table 22 is provided with a slot 41 which has aligned therewith a slot 42 formed in the insert 34 and complemental to the table slot 41 to provide clearance for one run of the belt 30. Clearance for the other run of the belt is provided by a cutout 43 which communicates with the slot 42. Substitute inserts each has its machine cutout positioned in a manner such that each of the various classes of machines will have its belt-receiving pulley located in substantially the same vertical plane, thus permitting the power transmitter to be'secured to the table in one position at all times. A reversing switch (not shown herein) maybe provided for each power transmitter'to accommodate machines having different directions of rotation.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 7, the insert 34 is provided ateach of the four corners of its cutout 40 with a shoulder portion 44 which is adapted to be engaged by and to support one ear portion 45-of an oil containing One of these cars 45 is provided at each of the four corners of the reservoir 46 and is illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawings. Thus, it will be understood that the reservoir 46 may be inserted into the cutout 40 from a position above the table 22 and that it is supported therein by means of shoulder portions 44, 44. The reservoir 46 is substantially pan shaped and is provided with a groove 47 thereabout for the purpose of receiving a gasket 48 of vibration and sound-absorbing material upon which rests the depending bed-plate walls 49 of a sewing machine which is generally designated by the numeral 50.

A pair of floating hinge devices are provided on the present outfit to permit the machine to be swung backwardly, thus to expose the reservoir 46. Each hinge seat comprises a pin member 51 disposed in a carrier portion 52 which is received into the insert 34 and held therein by means of a'screw 53. A fork member 54 is carried by the machine and it is adapted to embrace the pin. The machine, therefore, is adapted to pivot backwardly about these pins. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the machine 50 and the reservoir 46 form a substantially enclosed and oil-tight chamber.

Formed on the bottom portion of the reservoir 46 are lugs 55, 55 apertured to receive a horizontally disposed rock shaft 56 to one end of which is secured the usual knee-shift lever 57. Movement of this lever causes a pin 58, carried in the reservoir, to move endwise vertically for actuating a crank 59 which is pivotally secured, as at 60, to the sewing machine proper. The crank 59 is in turn operatively connected to a vertically disposed rod 61 which is adapted to actuate-the usual presser-bar lifter lever 62 carried by the machine head. For a more detailed disclosure of the present type of oil reservoir and its accompanying mechanism, reference may be had to the U. S. patent of Kaier, No. 2,250,922, July 29, 1941, and to the'U. S. patent of Marsac, No. 2,300,583, November 3, 1942.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 3, the insert 34 has mounted thereon a bobbin-winding attachment.

Broadly, this attachment comprises a sheet metal base plate 63-upon which is mounted a frame 64 carrying the usual driven pulley 65 and a bobbin holder 66. Disposed at the other end of the base 63 is a sheet metal plate 67 carrying a thread guiding and tensioning unit 68.

A sl'ot 69 formed in the base 63 receives a screw 70 which secures the attachment in juxtaposition to the driving belt 30 of the sewing machine. scription of the present type of bobbin winding attachment, reference may be had to-the U. S. patent of Karle No. 1,290,225, January 7, 1919.

"From the foregoing description, it will be understood that the present type of power table is constructed with For a complete dean opening 31 which is adapted to receive any one of a plurality of interchangeable inserts, each having an appropriate machine-receiving cutout to fit a respective one of the various machine classes. Thus, a single power table may be used in conjunction with a plurality of various types of sewing machines.

As hereinbefore noted, the present invention comprehends constructing the present power table in a manner such that the material removed from the power table plank in the process of forming its insert-receiving opening may be employed as a machine-supporting insert which will be adapted to be removably supported within such opening. In producing the present power table unit, the opening 31 is first formed in the power table plank by means of a relatively narrow cutting tool 75, thereby to sever from the plankthe machine-supporting insert 34. This first step is illustrated in Fig. 14, and Fig. 17 illustrates the power table 22 after the insert 34 has been first severed therefrom .so as to produce thev opening 31. Thereafter, the groove 32 is formed in each wall of a pair of the oppositely disposed longitudinal walls of the opening 31 by means of a suitable cutting tool. 76. Fig. 15 illustrates this second operation while. Fig. 18 illustrates the disposition of the grooves 32, 32 within the power table plank. Thereafter, the above noted shelf strips 33, 33 may be secured within the groove 32, 32 in any suitable manner such as by gluing. It is to be particularly noted that the shelf strips project into the power table opening 31 so as to support the insert in the manner as hereinabove set forth. I

The third step comprises forming a rabbet ledge 35 about the upper peripheral wall portion of the insert 34. This operation may beperformed by a conventional type cutter 78 as illustrated in Fig. 16. Fig. 19 illustrates a bottom plan view'of the insert with the rabbet ledge 35 completely formed thereabout. As hereinabove noted, the rabbct ledge 35 functions to mate directly with the oppositely projecting shelf strips 33, 33 so as to support the insert within the power table openings 31. Thereafter, the insert opening 40 may be formed in the insert in any conventional manner. Thus, this insert is formed entirely from the material removed from the power table opening 31, while the substitute inserts may be formed from additional stock.

The above outlined method, illustrated in Figs. 14 to 19 inclusive, is employed whenever the power table plank is constructed from one or more layers of wood. However, if the power table is to be formed from a plank unit having a top layer 79 of fMasonitefi or any otherlike material, adhesively secured thereto a modified method of constructing the unit may be advantageously employed due to the fact that fMasonitef or a similar substitute, is most difiicult to cut properly with a relatively narrow cutting tool. Experience has shown that materials such as Masonite are sufficiently tough to cause damage to narrow cutting tools.

This modified process is illustrated in Figs. 8 to 13 inclusive and it consists in first providing the lower face of the power table plank with a preliminary mill cut 80 which is not of suflicient depth to sever completely the insert from the power table. This cut may be performed in any suitable manner such as by a rotary cutting tool 81. Fig. 8 illustrates this cutting operation while Fig. 11 illustrates a bottom view of the power table unit after the groove 80 has been formed therein. The possibility of tool damage is lessened by limiting the depth of this preliminary cut. 1

The second step in the modified process consists in completely severing the insert from the power table plank by means of a cutting tool which is applied to the upper or veneered surface of the plank in a manner illustrated in Fig. 9. Any conventional tool such as the rotary element 82illustrated in Fig 9 may be employed in this operation. This tool 82, however, should be thicker than the tool employed in the first process and illustrated-in Fig. 14,

so that the Masonite veneer can be properly cut without damaging such tool. Fig. 12 illustrates a bottom plan view of the power table plank after the insert 34 has been completely severed therefrom. It is to be particularly noted that the rotary tool 82 forms a relatively narrow channel in the power table which communicates directly with the previous formed channel 30 so as to sever the insert from the power table plank. These two grooves automatically form the insert rabbet ledge 35 which in r the first form of the present invention was produced by a separate operation as illustrated in Fig. 16.

Thereafter a groove 32 is formed in each of the walls of a pair of oppositely disposed walls of the table opening and a shelf strip 33 is inserted into each of these grooves in the same manner as was employed in the first described method. Fig. illustrates a tool 84 fornn'ng the grooves 32 While Fig. 13, like 18 illustrates the power table after the groove 32, 32 have been so formed.

From the above it will be understood that either of the above described methods will produce, in a most economical manner, a novel and meritorious power table which is provided with an insert formed directly from the material which is removed from the power table during the forming of its insert-receiving opening.

As best illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, there may be provided about the peripheral portion of the power table opening 31 metallic molding strips 85 which may be secured directly to the power table walls by means of screws 86. These molding strips function to fill any gap which exists between the insert and the power table proper thereby to prevent the accumulation within such gap of any objectionable foreign matter. In the first described method of forming the present power table, the tool 75 may be extremely thin and thus will form merely a narrow opening between the power table and its insert. In this case it is usually not necessary or desirable to employ the above noted molding strip. However, in the second method of forming the present power table the severing tool 82 is usually thicker than the tool 75 so as to facilitate the cutting of the tough Masonite veneer. Thus, in this case it sometimes is desirable and advantageous to employ the above noted molding strip for filling the gap produced by the thicker cutting tool 82.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. The method of producing a power table top for a sewing machine which comprises cutting an opening in the top and thereby severing therefrom a machinesupporting insert, such cutting operation including a first step of forming a relatively wide channel in the bottom surface of the top in a pattern generally corresponding to the outline of the desired opening, and secondly completely severing the insert from the top by forming in the upper surface of the top a relatively narrow channel which meets the wide channel at the outer peripheral wall of the latter, thereby to form a rabbet ledge about the peripheral wall of the insert, and securing a shelf strip element on each wall of a pair of the oppositely disposed walls of the opening so that such element will project into the opening and mate with the rabbeted side wall of the insert thereby to support the latter within the opening.

2. The method of producing a power table top for a sewing machine which comprises cutting an opening in the top and thereby severing therefrom a machinesupporting insert, such cutting operation including a first step of forming a relatively wide channel in the bottom surface of the top in a pattern generally corresponding to the outline of the desired opening, and secondly completely severing the insert from the top by forming in the upper surface of the top a relatively narrow channel which meets the wide channel at the outer peripheral wall of the latter thereby to form a rabbet ledge about the peripheral wall of the insert, forming a groove in each wall of a pair of the oppositely disposed walls of the opening, and securing within each of said grooves a shelf strip so that a portion of the strip will project into the opening and mate with the rabbeted side wall of the insert thereby to support the latter within the opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 137,983 Wanzer Apr. 15, 1873 591,474 Hull Oct. 12, 1897 1,595,379 Childs Aug. 10, 1926 1,669,464 Geissler May 15, 1928 1,770,925 Howe July 22, 1930 1,933,232 Vaughan Oct. 31, 1933 1,950,687 Lind Mar. 6, 1934 2,077,118 Lewis Apr. 13, 1937 2,110,728 Hoggatt Mar. 8, 1938 2,263,536 Dike Nov. 18, 1941 2,477,433 Webb July 26, 1949 2,528,935 Williams Nov. 7, 1950 OTHER REFERENCES Audels Carpenters & Builders Guide, volume I, 1949, reprint, page 418. 

